Summary

Learn more about the Maiasaura dinosaur's nesting habits. Then create a Maiasaur nest to emulate how eggs might have appeared in the nest.

 

Materials

• Photograph of different bird eggs (PDF 2.54MB)
• Cantaloupe or volleyball (optional)
• Illustration of an adult Maiasaura dinosaur (PDF 2.54MB)
• Photo of a Maiasaura nest reconstruction (PDF 2.54MB)
• Sandbox, or large dirt-covered area
• Big, round rocks, approx 5-8” across
• Paint
• Hand shovels
• Loose leaves, pine needles

 

Related Video Clip

Dinosaur Train: "The Good Mom" (5 minutes 9 seconds)

 

Procedures

1. Most children know that dinosaurs hatched out of eggs. Ask students to hold their hands in front of them, and have them guess how big they think dinosaur eggs were. You can tell them that many of their answers are right. Explain that different kinds of dinosaurs hatched out of different-sized eggs, much in the way modern birds hatch out of different-sized eggs—some tiny, some pretty big. Show the illustration of different-sized bird eggs. Explain that the largest egg of any bird today is the ostrich egg – which is about the size of a volleyball. If possible, have students hold a cantaloupe or volleyball to get a sense of how big this egg is.
2. Tell students that a dinosaur species known as Maiasaura hatched out of eggs similar in size to ostrich eggs. Show a picture of a full-grown Maiasaura. Inform students that an adult Maiasaura was about 30 feet long, 6 feet tall and weighed 3-4 tons (about the weight of an African elephant). Tell them they are going to create a model of a Maiasaura nest. Show a picture of a reconstruction of Maiasaura nest (same printable as above).
3. Show the video clip of "The Good Mom," in which a Maiasaura mom watches closely over her children.
4. Make Maiasaura eggs. Tell students that based on fossils, scientists know that Maiasaura laid their eggs in groups in nests they dug in the ground. Each group of eggs, called a "clutch," was organized in a circle inside the nest. Have students paint their round rocks. Explain that scientists don't know what color the dinosaur eggs were – so students can use their imaginations to paint their eggs. They may wish to add speckled patterns like many bird eggs today. Let the paint dry.
5. Dig the Nest. In a sandbox, or large dirt-covered area, have students create a Maiasaura nest – a circular area about 5-6 feet across. Students can build up the edges of the nest, similar to the reconstruction in the photo.
6. Fill the Nest. Have students organize their eggs in a group in the middle of the large Maiasaura nest. Next, explain that Maiasaura were too big to sit on their eggs like a chicken. So how did they keep their eggs warm? Plants. Have students put leaves, pine branches, and other plant material on top of the eggs.
7. Make a picture of the nest. If available, use a camera to photograph the completed nest. Share with other students and family members. As an alternative, you can draw a picture of the nest with crayons or paint.

 

Extension

If you want to create a dinosaur egg that "hatches," try this: Put a small toy plastic dinosaur inside a balloon, inflate it and tie it. Then use paper mache to cover the balloon. To make paper mache, mix 2 cups flour with 2 cups water, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Drag strips of newspaper through this mixture and stick them onto the outside of the balloon. Let dry for a couple days. Then paint the outside of the dried paper mache. Let dry. When you are ready to hatch the egg, crack open the shell, and pop the balloon.